Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Robert F Welch

John P Measamer

Brett E Swensgard

Robert L Koch, Jr

Lauren O Main

Anthony T Nguyen

Steven W Hamblin

Charles A Hansford

Leo J Nolan

John A Kretchman

Navneet T Sharma

John I Izuchukwu

Richard R Schweet

John J Mertz

David Wolf

James D Staley, Jr

Jeff Kirk

A hand held surgical instrument for grasping and clamping tissue is disclosed. The surgical instrument has a handle body assembly and an elongated shaft. The shaft is connected to the handle body assembly at a proximal end and has an end effector at a distal end. The end effector is operably coupled to an actuation member extending from the handle body. The actuation member is moveable toward and away from the handle body to open and close the end effector. A locking tab is located on the handle body assembly and is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. A locking rod is movably engaged with a hole in the locking tab. When the locking tab is in the unlocked position, the actuation member is free to move towards and away from the handle body assembly to open and close the end effector. When the locking tab is in the locked position, movement to open the actuation member is prevented. The handle body assembly also has release trigger extending from the handle body assembly and operably coupled to the locking tab. The release trigger is moveable from a first position spaced away from the handle body to a second position adjacent to the handle body. The release trigger is normally biased toward the first position and is reciprocable, when initially squeezed toward the handle body assembly from the first position, to the second position, and subsequently released from the second position back to the first position. Consecutive reciprocations of the release trigger alternates the locking tab between the locked position and the unlocked position.

Ratchet release mechanism for hand held instruments

An improved surgical stapler which allows for the multi-directional release of staples includes a stapler body and a driver contained therein. A magazine is connected to the stapler body and includes a staple track for carrying a plurality of staples wherein each of the staples has staple legs. An anvil is associated with the staple track for providing a staple forming surface for forming a staple thereon. A feeder element which is spring biased against the staples is used for feeding each staple from the staple track to the anvil. A trigger is operatively connected to the driver and is movable from a pre-fire position to a firing position for advancing the driver against the anvil for forming the staple against the anvil. A kick-off spring is positioned beneath and substantially parallel to the staple track and the anvil. The kick-off spring has a deflectable tip which is deflected away from the anvil and engages the staple legs of the staple by downwardly camming against the staple legs when the trigger is moved from its pre-fire position to its firing position. The kick-off spring ejects the staples off of and away from the anvil by disengaging the staple legs with the deflectable tip by upwardly camming against the staple legs upon returning of the trigger from the firing position to the pre-fire position.

Skin stapler with multi-directional release mechanism

A surgical instrument including an improved handle and latching mechanism is described. The handle comprises an instrument trigger pivotally connected to an instrument body with a toggle link connecting the instrument trigger to an actuating mechanism in the handle. The toggle link includes a latch notch or latch stop which is adapted to receive a latch link which is pivotally connected to the handle at a first end and contacts the toggle link at a second end. A latch trigger is adapted to contact the latch link.

Handle latching mechanism with release trigger

A surgical instrument including a handle, an end effector including jaws, an elongated tube connecting the handle to the end effector, a connector within the tube connecting the handle to the jaw members; and a first slot in the first jaw and a second slot in the jaw wherein the first and second slots are arranged such that only a portion of the slots overlap when the first and second jaws are closed to create a hole in the jaw which may be used for positioning a suture in the tissue. The first slot in the first jaw extends to a side of the first jaw and the second slot in the second jaw extends to a side of the second jaw creating pathways for removing the suture when the jaws are opened. The surgical instrument may also include a retractable tying pin adjacent the end effector and a knot pusher at the distal end of the end effector. A method of using the surgical instrument described above includes closing the first and second jaws on tissue; passing a surgical needle with a suture attached thereto through the overlapping portion of the first and second slots; opening the first and second jaws and releasing the suture by passing the suture through the first and the second slots.

Suture assist device

The invention described herein is a device for tying knots intracorporeally during laparoscopic surgery. It is intended to simplify the process of tying intracorporeal knots to the point that the average laparoscopist can quickly learn to suture laparoscopically with confidence. The unique features of this invention include: a driven shuttle; integral grasper or needle driver; the system is reloadable; and the system may have a detachable end effector. The system also may have a multi function handle, and incorporates an integral needle driver mechanism.

Needle driving device

The invention described herein is a device for tying knots intracorporeally during laparoscopic surgery. It is intended to simplify the process of tying intracorporeal knots to the point that the average laparoscopist can quickly learn to suture laparoscopically with confidence. The unique features of this invention include: a driven shuttle; integral grasper; the system is reloadable; and the system may have a detachable end effector. The system also may have a multi function handle.

Suturing device

An tissue retention spring for use with a surgical circular stapler used to perform an anastomosis. The tissue retention spring is mounted onto the anvil shaft of the stapler. The spring has a plurality of connected helical coils defining a member having an axial passage therethrough. The spring provides tissue retention, tissue and fluid venting, and improved stapler closing.

Circular stapler tissue retention spring method

An anvil bushing for use with a surgical circular stapler used to perform an anastomosis. The anvil bushing is mounted to the anvil shaft of the stapler. The bushing has a tubular member having an axial pathway therethrough. The tubular member has a proximal end, a distal end and an exterior surface. A first flange member having a first diameter is mounted to the distal end of the tubular member. A second flange member having a second diameter is mounted to the proximal end of the tubular member. The second diameter is larger than the first diameter. Legs for locating the bushing on an anvil shaft extend axially from the first flange member. Tissue notches are contained in the second flange member.

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Maineville, OH, United States of America

Robert F Welch